Community archaeology in action: realising the potential of foreshore heritage at Sandwich Bay
Introduction
Since 2018, the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) has been working with NAS members, local stakeholders and partner organisations in citizen science fieldwork at Sandwich Bay on the east coast of Kent. The following is an outline of the six years of community archaeology work at Sandwich Bay, a summary of the heritage remains that have been discovered on the beach and the opportunities for the future. Whilst much has been achieved, the fieldwork and research demonstrate that this is a highly significant foreshore area with many archaeological mysteries that still need to be uncovered.
The NAS work has focussed on a 5 mile stretch of mostly sandy beach within Sandwich Bay. This relatively flat beach has a sizable tidal range which lends itself to foreshore archaeology fieldwork particularly at low tide. The best tides at Sandwich Bay always coincide with dawn, and are usually around February or March, when the weather is more likely to be somewhat challenging for fieldwork. Fortunately, the NAS has been instrumental in developing a group of volunteers who are enthusiastic to get out in the field to investigate the mysteries of Sandwich Bay – no matter what the weather or hour of the day.
Over the six years of community archaeology work on this site led by the NAS, a considerable assemblage of heritage remains have been discovered and recorded. On every fieldwork session, there is something new to record and investigate, which is why the community archaeology work has been so important, and is ongoing.
So far, the permanent remains that have been discovered on the beach include ten wooden wrecks, one metal plane and hundreds of wooden fish trap stakes. Added to this is the ever- changing array of movable cultural heritage that ranges from broken pots, bricks, modern debris, fishing gear and ordnance.
Community archaeology at Sandwich Bay
The NAS association with this site commenced in 2018 when it received a recommendation to run the NAS internationally accredited entry-level beach archaeology course at Sandwich Bay. It was an incredibly successful implementation of the course due to the volume of accessible heritage, the relatively safe on-site conditions and easy course logistics. For this reason, and due to the popularity of the course, it was repeated in February and September 2019 when the tides were at their lowest.
On each course, through partnering with different organisations, it was possible to augment the entry-level training with more advanced techniques such as drones, DGPS and total stations. However, there was always the focus on classical archaeological techniques that are accessible to all - basic measuring, photography and archaeological record keeping. Again, due to popular demand and intrigue about the heritage on the beach, the community training was held again in February and in March 2020. This turned out to be the final time that the community fieldwork and training was held in this format as the COVID pandemic put a hiatus on any public outreach activity.
In summary, over the five fieldwork sessions, the NAS has had almost 50 individuals participate in the training with many returning to the beach to continue measuring, recording, photographing and searching for coastal heritage. Some of the participants have walked from nearby homes while others have trekked from overseas. Some have been just once, and some have attended almost every fieldwork session. The experience is always one of enjoyable learning and all participants are enthusiastic, despite the fact that most fieldwork days start before dawn, and in winter. So far, the work at Sandwich Bay has been ‘organic’, reactionary and most significantly a volunteer-funded system rather than a fully externally funded project. However, there are plans to change that in 2025.
[fg]jpg|Fig 1: Volunteers recording a wreck at Sandwich Bay|Image[/fg]
While many participants have valued the in-depth experience of being involved with fieldwork, there is also considerable interest from the broader community to be informed of what is on the beach and what others have been investigating. For that reason, public beach walks have also been part of the NAS outreach activities (Fig. 2). The walks take place mainly in the rain, only occasionally in the hail and rarely in the sunshine. But the alure of this coastal heritage is not diminished by the weather. Sometimes up to 60 people have attended these early morning sessions, along with numerous four-legged friends. The beach walkers are guided by expert NAS tutors or affiliates who both share pertinent information about the coastal heritage and, of course, ensure the safety of the walkers. The approximately 2-mile round-trip route includes most of the ten wooden wrecks and the metal plane – as long as they are visible above the sediment. Stopping at each wreck, the expert guide gives an insight into the recording and research that has taken place, the key features to note and the possibilities of future identification. The walkers are there to find out more about the heritage and they are encouraged to ask questions. It is also often an exchange of information, with participants offering historical information from their experience or their ancestors’ connections to the area.
During the courses, fieldwork sessions and public beach walks, the NAS has gathered data showing the deterioration of the heritage sites; witnessed the local interest in the beach heritage; made useful local connections, and come to realise the potential of this heritage beach beyond what is possible through the community archaeology courses. Which is why more must be done in the near future, before it is too late.
[fg]jpg|Fig 2: Public beach walk at Sandwich Bay|Image[/fg]
Heritage at Sandwich Bay
Dispersed across the five-mile beach at Sandwich Bay are significant heritage remains with sufficient diversity to interest a range of people. The NAS mission has been to record and monitor the moveable artefacts and immovable heritage assets at Sandwich Bay before they are inevitably lost to the sea. Over recent years, this heritage has been visibly disintegrating, and it is becoming worse with every tide. The heritage falls neatly into four categories: loose finds, fish trap stakes, metal plane wreck, and wooden ship remains.
The individual finds that wash up or are exposed where they have been deposited on the beach can range from broken or intact bottles, large timbers from a wreck further out to sea, or even a large and historically significant rudder. Considerable WWII ordnance is also exposed on the beach which is safely detonated by the coast guard.
Any loose finds discovered by the NAS are usually left in situ however there have been some particular specimens that have been collected for teaching purposes. As well as following industry-standard conservation practices, the NAS also ensures that legal obligations are met by reporting individual finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme1 and the Receiver of Wreck.2
The situation is different for some other beach users who more-often collect artefacts as souvenirs or curios. While many of these finds are shared on the five Facebook groups dedicated to this beach, it is unlikely that many of these artefacts are reported through official channels and therefore do not contribute to the overall understanding of this historic environment. These actions may not be intentionally malevolent; however, they do have long-reaching consequences for the interpretation of Sandwich Bay heritage. There are plans to reverse this and to encourage finders to share their discoveries in a way that creates a coordinated shared heritage.
A major feature on the beach is the fish trap stakes. They are a permanent fixture, however are more challenging to see, due to their low profile. Fortunately, once one fish trap stake is found, a quick scan of the surrounding landscape would soon reveal lines of stakes running off into the distance. In 2019, the NAS partnered with the Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeology Network (CITiZAN) to undertake fieldwork at Sandwich Bay. While the NAS focused on the wooden ship remains, the CITiZAN focused on the coastal heritage of the fish traps. Over 1,100 stakes were plotted by DGPS, timber samples were taken for radiocarbon dating and historical research completed to solve the mystery of these lines of timber stakes in the sand. The discovery that these are late 18th to early 20th century keddle nets has been made public through numerous talks and a publicly accessible report.[fn3]
There is a single plane wreck that is quite distinct on the landscape and is a useful navigation mark. No mysteries need solving for this wreck. The WWII B17 bomber was part of the 303rd Bomb Group in the 427th Bomb Squad. On a return trip from the Netherlands to the RAF Manston airfield, it ditched on 1st December 1943 when it ran out of fuel. All crew survived. Ironically, the plane may well make its intended final journey before too long. There is already a dedicated local person who has taken it upon themselves to diligently rescue pieces that fall off the plane, conserve them and then donate them to RAF Manston which is now a museum. The critical point will soon be reached at which time there will be more plane in the museum than on the beach wreck site. However, as the human story is already well documented, it is not as detrimental as the disintegration of the unknown heritage on the beach which consists of more fragile wooden vessels.
[fg]jpg|Fig 3: Wooden fish trap stakes at Sandwich Bay|Image[/fg]
The remains of wooden vessels dominate the low tide landscape and are useful landmarks for navigating around the large beach area. They are usually referred to as ‘wrecks’ because that is a more relatable term and a more romantic idea for the public. However, technically, they should be called ‘hulks’ as the site formation process shows that the majority have been beached and abandoned rather than suffered a catastrophic event. Evidence from the archives show that it was common for ships to be grounded on the flats at Sandwich Bay during heavy weather.[fn4] Eight of the wreck/hulks consist of the lower remains of wooden vessels that are upright, or almost upright, with bows pointing inland to the west. Only the lower aspects of the vessels remain as the upper parts have disintegrated through natural causes, or have been salvaged through human activity.
Two of the vessels are lying on their side which suggests a possible wrecking event however this does not rule-out abandonment as a hulk.
The wooden hulks are the most obvious aspect of the beach heritage as they are large and immovable. However, that does not mean they are always visible. Throughout the six years of NAS fieldwork, these hulks have been documented at various states of exposure as the sand levels increase and decrease with no, as yet, clear logical pattern. Sometimes the outline of a wooden vessel is clearly defined and stands up to 50cm proud of the sediment levels, and hence a prime candidate for detailed recording and research. On other occasions the timbers are minimally exposed from the sediment and are somewhat inaccessible for detailed study as they are submerged in a perpetual pool of water. On other occasions
the wooden remains are entirely buried by the sediment, which is frustrating for researchers and citizen scientists. However, burial does have the positive consequence of preventing marine organisms from destroying the timbers. The unknown nature of the changing sediment levels is one of the Sandwich Bay mysteries that will soon be solved.
But what are these hulks or wrecks? Where did they come from? Why are they here? The first two questions currently remain elusive. However, the last question can be answered. They are here because this is a dangerous stretch of water. Even Shakespeare knew that at the end of the 1500s.
“---the Goodwins I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat... where the carcass of many a tall ship lie buried”.[fn5]
Following the first five fieldwork sessions (2018-2020), the COVID pandemic gave a chance to reflect on what had been achieved and to plan for a more sustainable future.
A realisation was that it was highly unlikely that further discoveries were going to be made using the current methodology of community archaeology training and recording led from the NAS’s home office 160 miles away in Portsmouth. A new strategy had to be devised, and research options explored.
In 2023, funding from Historic England provided for a dendrochronologist to visit site. While the tides were extremely low in March, the sediment levels were high. This restricted the amount of timber available for sampling to only the top-most sections that were highly degraded by the environment and marine organisms. Unfortunately, the dendrochronology tests have been so far inconclusive due to the poor state of the timber. However, advice from the dendrochronologist is that there is a greater chance of successful dating from better condition timber lower down on the wreck. To obtain better condition timber it is necessary to either have the local community monitoring the sediment levels, or, the wrecks must be excavated, investigated, and then reburied.
A commonly accepted view by the public is that archaeology is excavation, and excavation is archaeology. Within the discipline it is known that archaeology is so much more, however when involving the public, excavation does capture interest and involvement. Excavation is extremely enticing to the general public – particularly when there is a chance for active participation. Therefore, it is extremely fortunate with the framework already in place, the most appropriate strategy to solve the mysteries of the wooden wrecks on Sandwich Bay is to excavate at least two. This will hopefully form a major part of a new, fully-funded, community archaeology project.
[fg]jpg|Fig 4: Volunteers record a loose timber at Sandwich Bay|Image[/fg]
Challenges and opportunities at Sandwich Bay
The heritage on the beach at Sandwich Bay is at risk and is being eroded daily, both from natural causes and climate change. There is also a certain amount of human activity from bait diggers, souvenir collectors and the depositing of marine rubbish that is contributing to this deterioration. The remains cannot be preserved in situ indefinitely. However, they can be preserved by record and better understood through digital and physical interpretation, and hence better appreciated by present and future generations.
The heritage is important to the local community. Over the years, the NAS has collected anecdotal oral histories on memories of the beach heritage and its deterioration. Tens of thousands are members of five Facebook groups that focus on the beach heritage. Sharing artefact discoveries or beach observations in a Facebook post is a very valuable first step, however, is not the most efficient way to produce useful monitoring data. The local community are doing what they can to preserve the heritage as individuals - they just need support to work together.
Plans are underway for an initial three-year project with the NAS facilitating the formation of an eventually self-governing community heritage group focused on Sandwich Bay. The individuals and groups that already do an excellent job of researching and preserving the coastal heritage will be brought together and assisted to work collaboratively.
The NAS will use their considerable technical expertise in capacity and skill building and their professional networks to allow the local community’s creativity and innovative ideas to record, sustain and generally manage the heritage.
Sandwich Bay is not only significant for its coastal heritage, it also has several layers of protection for its environmental and scientific significance. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a protected wetlands (Ramsar site) a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). These levels of protection are managed by various governmental departments and authoritative organisations such as Natural England, Kent County Council, Kent Wildlife Trust and Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust. Other official organisations have jurisdiction or are stakeholders in what happens at Sandwich Bay: these include Historic England and Sandwich Bay Estate. All relevant stakeholders are supportive of plans for the establishment of a community group for the area.
[fg]jpg|Fig 5: SB0011 wreck for excavation|Image[/fg]
Initially, interested people and groups will be brought together in stakeholder co-creation sessions where ideas will be explored and plans of action developed. The NAS will recommend several key activities to get the group started and then support them to become independent.
Note that promoting the community group activities will be just as important as collecting and sharing factual historical discoveries, and this will support the growth of the group and expand membership. Beach signage, public exhibitions, a website and social media are all ways to disseminate the work of the community group.
Due to environmental conditions of this tidal site, most of the heritage at Sandwich Bay beach are inaccessible for most of the year. Through ocean literacy skill development in this project, physically active people may plan access by highlighting the best time to view the heritage at certain particularly low tides throughout the year. Digital interpretation of the coastal heritage will allow access to for disabled people and those that are unable to travel to appreciate the value of the beach, and will also allow all people to enjoy under all tidal conditions.
It is expected that one of the major tasks of the proposed community group will be excavation of at least one wreck as this is the only way to learn more about the wrecks. Of the ten known wooden wrecks, there is one that is the prime candidate for excavation. It is high up on the beach, will be exposed by the tide for the longest, and will more readily enable access for any resources to site. It is denoted as wreck SB0011 (Fig. 5) – the eleventh item of cultural heritage recorded by the NAS at Sandwich Bay. For most of the six years the NAS has been working on this site, only the stem and stern posts have been visible. Fortunately, in February 2022 the sediment levels dropped and increasingly more of the vessel became exposed. At its most revealed, it was possible to identify the deck level based on the position of the mast step, cargo hatchways and the deck winch. This is the only vessel on the beach where it is possible to calculate the full dimensions due to the evidence of the deck location.
For this reason, it is prime candidate for excavation, documentation and reburial. The digital data can then be used to recreate the entire vessel in a virtual world.
Another key feature of the community group will be to establish a unified monitoring system to manage observations of the beach. Numerous individuals are already monitoring the beach through regular walks however the observations, information and artefacts are only being reported through Facebook. Creating a user- friendly open-source monitoring system that can bring together the finds and observations in a unified and searchable way, will allow a greater understanding of the site formation processes of Sandwich Bay. This system will also be used to monitor beach sediment levels which when compared to historical data will be a useful indicator of climate change.
As a starting point, one of the long- term volunteers with high-level IT skills has created a geolocated map with the heritage data for Sandwich Flats embedded.[fn6] The map (Fig. 6 & Fig. 7) is regularly used on site to either help define which wreck is being examined, or to prove that a wreck has been buried. On the map, all the red circles with SB numbers are the wrecks, the blue triangles are reported losses, and the yellow dots are the fish trap stakes. The red squares show the latest development for the map which enables crowd sourcing. All members of the community are now able to contribute images and information to record and monitor aspects of the maritime heritage on the beach. This demonstrates the trajectory of the proposed monitoring system.
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[fg]jpg|Fig 6 & Fig 7: Screenshots of Sandwich Bay coastal heritage geolocated map created by Paul Harwood|Image[/fg]
Due to the limited time that the heritage remains on the beach are publicly accessible, the community group will be encouraged to focus on digital projects to maximise the impact of the heritage research. The existing monitoring app is already an effective way of sharing information and images about discoveries on the beach, and is accessible to all with an internet connection. Using up-to-date techniques and methodologies, the wrecks and fish traps, and even individual finds, can be brought to life through augmented reality and virtual reality. Digital tours of the beach will allow access for people of all abilities. It will be a model for community-based archaeology using tools of our modern digital world.
To date, the NAS has focused on fieldwork on the beach, however there is an as yet untapped archival source in many different locations that needs to be examined to help solve the many mysteries of Sandwich Bay. Connections have already been made with local museums and archives to both see what resources and information are available, as well as what opportunities are available for future exhibition and outreach spaces for the community group. In summary, all avenues of research and exploration will be encouraged, from recording oral histories of beach walkers, fishermen and other beach users, to consulting with numerous local museums and archives.
Finally, to maintain public interest and momentum in the beach and the community group work, regular public beach walks will need to continue. And this will also be an excellent way to recruit new people to the community group, to share their progress and possibly collect more oral histories. They will be vastly more effective once they are run by the local community rather than NAS staff members driving hundreds of miles for an early morning beach walk.
These are just some of the ideas that have been canvassed during previous fieldwork sessions. Once the independent community group is established and activities and research is underway, more possibilities will be developed as the community group finds its own focus and interest in Sandwich Bay.
Over the last six years, the NAS has established that at Sandwich Bay there is significant coastal heritage that is being threatened by environmental factors, and that there is considerable local community interest that needs a little guidance to work together rather than as individuals. The proposed community work can be supported by some outstanding existing logistical structures including museums and archives. A funding application for an independent community group for Sandwich Bay coastal heritage is underway and further updates on the state of the project and ways to become involved will be forthcoming.
Peta Knott is the Education Manager for the Nautical Archaeology Society with academic qualifications in Classical archaeology and maritime archaeology and commercial diving certifications. Peta has experience in field archaeology both underwater and on land, and several years’ experience working in museums.
Further reading
Evans S and Davison M, 2019. Wrecks in coastal and marine ecosystems: The Goodwin Sands and Kent Coast. MSDS Marine and Carcinus. Historic England Research Report Series no. 45/2019
Ronn, P. 2019, Climate change and coastal archaeology in Sandwich, Kent, The Archaeologist, Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Issue 108 Autumn 2019.
Tidbury L, McInnes R, and Fisher S (2014) Case Study 3B – Kent, UK. In: Satchell, J & Tidbury, L (eds) Arch- Manche Technical Report.
[fn]1|PAS, Portable Antiquities Scheme, https://finds.org.uk;[/fn]
[fn]2|RoW, Receiver of Wreck www.gov.uk/report-wreck-material/reporting-wreck-material [/fn]
[fn]3|Band, Land and Cvetković, T., 2022. (Don’t Let it) Slip through the net: CITiZAN investigations of fish traps at Sandwich Bay, Kent Part 1: Fieldwork and research 2018-2022.[/fn]
[fn]4|National Archives catalogue reference SC 8/171/8529[/fn]
[fn]5|Shakespeare, W. 1600, Merchant of Venice, Act II; Scene 1[/fn]
[fn]6|Harwood, P. www.swbayproject.com/[/fn]